Scaling-ladder.



No. 769,287; PATENTED SEPT. e, 1904.

W. F. SAMPSON.

SCALING LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

No. 769,237. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 11904.

' W. F. SAMPSON.

SCALING LADDER.

APPLIGATiON FILED MAR. 21, 1904 jZZi-ne a.

' figure. Fig. 5 represents a detail section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

i are chiefly employed by firemen to enable them UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

IN Lo'W F. SAMPSON, or MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCALING- LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,237, dated eptember 6, 1904.

Application filed March 21, 190

To all whom it .maty concern:

Be it known that I, VVINSLOW F. SAMPSON, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scaling-Ladders, of which the following, is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to ladders of that type known as scaling-ladders and which to ascend from theground outside of'a building by engaging the hook usually carried by such ladder with the sill or sillsof the windows of a building.

The object of the present invention is to provide a compound scaling-laddenthe two being so connected that they will always be in position for the ascent with a step bystep movement from one window-sillto another, the actual hoisting or passing of one ladder section or member by the other member being performed by some one uponjthe ground, thereby enabling the fireman who is ascending to retain a firm grasp upon the section which supports him, guiding the other section, if necessary.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a preferred embodiment of the invention, the two members or sections of the ladder being shown in elevation and as engaged with two window-sills, one above the other. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the compound ladder, the two sections thereof being in their normal positionswhen not in use in scaling a building. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation from the right of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the coupling which connects the two sections, portions of said two sections being also shown in said Similar references indicate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The two sections or members of the compound ladder are represented at a and 6, respectively. Each of said sections comprises the usual side rails 10 and rungs or rounds '11. Each isialso provided with asuspending-hook Serial Nol99,067- (No model.)

12, which may-be'of any preferred type. In the drawings such hook 'is shown as a single one having branches connected with the upper ends of the side rails, so as to bring the hook itself in line with the vertical center of the Section.

The coupling'comprises two members 13 18 .connected together by a pivot 14, which may be a rivet sufficiently loose to permit an oscillating movement of the two parts relatively to'each otheron said rivet. Each men1- ber13 and 13 includes a slideway or a guideway embracing the side rail 10 of the laddersection, each of said guideways being open, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:, to permit the passage of the rounds 11. One'of the coupling memhers is formed with a pin 15, extending-into a segmental slot 16 (see Fig. 5) in the other member of the coupling, so as to limit the relative swinging movements of the two members of the coupling, and consequently of the two sections or members of the compound ladder. Each ladder is provided with an eye or ropeguide 17 at its lower end and with a top guide 18, provided with a sheave.

20 and 20 represent flexible connect-ions or ropes which pass through the eyes 17 and over the sheaves in amanner that will be presentlydescribed,-the end of each rope 20 and 20 being secured at 19 to a ladder-section. By the term rope herein employed it is to be understood that I intend to cover any flexible connection suitable for the purpose. For most uses a rope which has been treated with fireproof material w-illsuflice.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 2, the rope 2O passes through the eye 17, that is attached to the section a, and then crosses over to the sheave 18, carried at the upper end of the section 6, and then returns back to the point 19 of the section a. The rope 20 passes upward through the eye 17 at the lower end of the section I), thencrosses over through the sheave 18 at the upper end of the section a, and then returns to the point 19 at the lower end of the section 6. Therefore the two ropes 20 and 20 cross each other both at the front and rear of the compound ladder. The result of tlliis will now be described in connection with a scrlption of the operation.

Referring to Fig. 1, it may be supposed that the hook of the section 7) has been engaged with the sill m of one of the windows of a building. Pulling upon the rope 20" will result in elevating the ladder-section 7) for the reason that the rope passes over a sheave which is in a fixed position and exerts a pull upon the section 6 due tothe connection of said rope 2O with the eye or stud 19, carried at the lower end of said section Z). Supposing that a fireman has run up the section a as far as he can go, he may stand there and aid in properly guiding the section Z) as it rises past him, the hoisting being done by another fireman upon the ground. WVhen the hook of the section b has been engaged with the sill m of the next window, the fireman steps across to the section b and passes up as far as he can go, and while he is running up or after he has reached the top of the section. Z) the fireman upon the ground pulls the cord 20, which runs over the sheaves of the section 6, which is now in fixed position, and therefore elevates the section (L past the section 6 until the hook of the section a can be engaged with the sill of the next window. (Not shown.) Arepetition of this operation will result in rapidly elevating the sections with a step-by-step movement until the top of the building has been reached, if necessary, the last movement possibly engaging the cornice of the building. In the meantime the fireman who is ascending has little to do beyond running up the ladder section by section alternately, thus saving much time, as well as much labor, on the part of the ascending fireman. Timeis saved,because while the ascending fireman is running up a ladder the companion section can be raised most, if

not all, of its way by another fireman upon the ground.

Of course it can be readily understood that the lowering of a compound ladder may be efiected by a reversal of the above-described operations, the fireman upon the ground simply alternately releasing the ropes, so as to let them descend in reverse order. It is also to be understood, of course, that the ropes are of sufiicient length to reach the ground at all times regardless of theheight of the building that is to be sealed.

1 claim 1. A scaling-ladder comprising two laddersections having their side rails slidingly connected together, the sections being side by side, and each section having means for engaging a window-sill.

2. A scaling-ladder comprising two sections and a connecting-coupling,one side rail of each section being fitted to slide relatively to the coupling, the two sections being in substantially the same plane.

3. A scaling-ladder comprising two guides pivotally connected together, and two laddersections each having one of its side rails fitted. to slide in one of said guides.

4:. A scaling-ladder comprising a coupling member having two guideways, two laddersections each having means for engaging a window-sill and having one of its side rails fitted to slide in one of said guidewavs, and means for hoisting one section relatively to the other.

5. A scaling-ladder comprising a coupling member having two guideways. two laddersections each having means for engaging a window-sill and having one of its side rails fitted to slide in one of said guideways, and two ropes each connected at one end to one ladder, crossing over through a guide at or near the top of the other ladder and then re crossing to pass through a guide of the lirstmentioned ladder.

In testimony whereof l have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VlNSLOlV F. SAMPSON.

\V itnesses:

A. \V. .HAnmsoN, lt. M. PIERSON. 

